Raven 4 returned to the Point early in the afternoon on the Friday our first round ended. We were all so eager to get back to base we didn't give the farm a second glance when we drove off in our 15P. As the evening neared more and more teams arrived, Ravens flocking in from up and down the coast. Buffalo and Moose too. I waited impatiently for Raven 7 to get in from Vermont. I missed my roommate, Ariel and my friend, Zac more than anyone else. And once they arrived I felt every antsy nerve in my body calm. And so our spring break weekend and transition week began.
I've started calling the Point 'home'. It feels more like a home than anywhere else I've been in years. Even home itself. When we all left for first round in early March the Point was bare. Arriving that Friday we saw that it had come alive during our absence. The grass had grown greener. The trees were dressed in beautiful hues of white and pink. And flower petals rained down from every direction. Home.
Late night walks by the water, adventures through Perryville and trips to the Box Car ice cream shop were cut short when we received the news on Monday that the fire team was being called out early. Instead of deploying on Saturday, they were shipping out on Thursday. That meant Zac. And Raven 4's own Logan. They were busier than ever over the next few days preparing to leave. That meant late nights were our only means of spending time. Early Thursday morning, after a shorter than usual PT session, a bunch of us stood in the street and waved goodbye as Phoenix 2 drove off, southbound to begin their great adventure.
The rest of the week passed by in a blur. Deployment day was scheduled for Saturday. Raven 4 is spending the first 2 weeks of this round here at the Point. We'll be commuting to Newark, Delaware everyday to work at Iron Hill Park. So Raven 4, along with 2 other teams who will also be staying at the Point for a while piled into our vans on Saturday and headed to Washington DC for the day to build a playground. We left very early, while the rest of the campus was still asleep. I appreciated this. We were one of the last teams to leave for round one too and the abandonment of having to say goodbye while all the other teams deploy is nothing less than depressing. I was happy to not be around for the departure period.
In DC, at the school where we would be building, we met the girl in charge. The organization is called Kaboom. They do blitz playground builds all around the country. Her name was Danielle and to our delight she was an AmeriCorps NCCC alumni. She wasn't an Atlantic Region alum, but still, she's part of the NCCC family. In the area where we had breakfast there were dozens of pictures covering the walls and windows. Kids had drawn them and each one was labeled, "My Dream Playground..." and each one was a doodle of their perfect playground. There were swirly sliding boards and colorful play stations. We were easily reminded not only of why we were in DC for the day but why we're in AmeriCorps. For little kids who have no playgrounds to play in. For our country.
In a matter of 7 hours we built an entire playground. It wasn't a miracle, it was AmeriCorps. Dozens of kids watched from a fenced in yard, pointing and excited. Disappointed in the end to learn that they would have to wait 3 days for the cement to harden around the equipment to play in their new playground. But it was amazing to see a difference so substantial happen in only a few hours. That's what this year is about, making a difference. And once I saw that playground, bright and erected, it was hard to be bitter at the thought of everyone leaving. Even Phoenix 2. Because they're off making substantial differences as well. We are a force. Like a storm. Oh how amazing it would be to capture a storm in a jar, to have lightening and thunder right in the palm of your hand, to enjoy at any moment. But what good would a storm do in a jar? So, with reluctance I text a goodbye to my friends.
Second round is 8 weeks long. My team has grown into a family. I've grown in ways I can't yet sum up. And believe it or not we're not even half way there yet. As this AmeriCorps adventure of mine continues all I have to say is it's already been more than I imagined. Round two can only hold good things.
Building an entire park in one day? I'm sure the people in that neighborhood will be forever grateful for years to come! Best wishes on your next round!
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